


A Fate Sealed with String

by Little_Inkstone



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-01-26 03:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12547772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Inkstone/pseuds/Little_Inkstone
Summary: After meeting the man her parents have arranged for her to marry, Belle decides she’ll take her own fate into her hands.  Literally, with the help of a charmed piece of thread that will lead her to her true love.





	1. Chapter 1

Belle was vehemently against marrying the man that her father had decided would be her husband. He was smug, pigheaded and not a just a little bit conceited; the night before they’d been forced to eat supper together.  While everyone in her father’s court was a twitter about the princess’s fiancé.  She’d met men like him before, he thought he was charming, and now that their engagement was official he saw nothing wrong with outrageously flirting with the Lady who sat across from them.  He smirked while the two of them talked his eyes heavy and half lidded, his words dripping with hidden promises.  Belle had no doubt that they were already lovers and she refused to marry a man that wouldn’t at least be loyal to her at the begging of their marriage.

As a child she’d dreamed of marrying her true love.  When she’d grown older she had resigned herself to a political match, but she hadn’t given up hope that she could still find marital bliss.  Her parents were more than happy with each other despite having been an arranged marriage, and she had wanted the same. It seemed that wouldn’t be happening with her current husband-to-be.  She couldn’t imagine ever tolerating him, let alone falling in love with him.  After the disastrous dinner she had gone to her parents to complain to them.  Papa had brushed her concerns aside with a pat on the hand before walking away.  Mama hadn’t been so quick to ignore her.  Instead she led Belle to her well-stocked library where they had some before bed tea.

“You’ve only just met him, Belle.”  Her Mama said once she was done ranting.  “Perhaps you should try to get to know him a little better.”  She reached out and took Belle’s hand with a reassuring smile. “He is well known for his gallantry and kindness.  I’ve met him before; I think you two will be a good match.”

“Oh not you too, Mama.”  Belle sighed unhappily as she pulled her hand away to cross her arms.  “Papa said the same thing.”  She added.  “But this isn’t the first knight I’ve met with a golden reputation and winsome smile, Mama, I’m not fooled.”

“All I want is for you to be happy, Belle; if his lordship isn’t to your taste then I’ll talk to your father.”  Collette said.

“Thank you, Mama.” Belle replied standing to hug her Mother.

“I can’t make any promises; we’ve already announced your engagement and signed the engagement contract.  Without extenuating circumstances breaking it will start a nothing short of a scandal.” Collette warned as she patted her back.

“I know, but thank you.”  She said.

Belle was deep in thought as she left her mother’s library.  She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she couldn’t marry that man, not after how he’d acted during their first dinner together.  They hadn’t even known each other for more than an hour and his eye was wandering, what would the rest of her life with him be like? Belle refused to find out, and that meant she needed to create some extenuating circumstances.

When she was a girl a carnival had come to visit their city and with it had come several proprietors of magic items and spells.  She’d been thrilled to be given a bag of coins and the freedom to buy what she wished from the colourful stalls and she still held many of those items dear. One of those items was still tucked away between the pages of one of the most boring sounding books she had.  When she’d bought the red string of fate she had planned to use it right away, only to change her mind when she realized she wouldn’t be able to follow where it led.  She might have been a dreamer but even as a child she was a practical dreamer.

As the years went on she’d put aside any thoughts of actually using the magical charm.  It was something that would lead to her true love if she tied it around her ring finger and slept with it like that.  When she woke up the witch that sold it to her promised the other end would be wrapped around the ring finger of the one that was perfect for her no matter how far away that person was.  She’d been tempted so many times to use it but true loves and happily ever afters weren’t for princesses that needed to marry for political reasons.  Plus the thought of her true love being chosen by magic had always rankled her; she wanted to choose her own fate.  All things considered using the sting now was her taking control of her destiny; more so then the current option.

Belle allowed her maids to dress her for bed and then waited for the castle to grow quiet and the hour to grow late.  Then when she was sure no one else but mice would be scurrying about she got up and walked to where she kept her fine collection of books.  Slipping the inconspicuous title free from its spot on her bookshelf she opened it to the page were the red thread was pressed.  It had been years since she’d bought it, but it was still the deep and vibrant red it had been from the beginning.  It almost seemed to glow with magic.  Taking a deep breath Belle wrapped it around her finger and tied a knot; it was tight enough that it wouldn’t slip off while she slept, but not so much that her finger would begin to turn blue.  Nervously she put the book back and slid under the covers of her bed.

It seemed like sleep might be might be impossible, given how anxious she was; but soon her eyes grew heavier than her worries and she drifted off.

Even before her eyes had even opened in the morning she knew it worked.  There was a gentle tugging at her ring finger that felt as if it were pulling her towards her destiny, which she supposed it was.  With a racing heart she left the bed and dressed quickly in a simple dress that she could put on without needing help or having the red string get twisted around anything.  The thread twisted its way down the hall leading from her room; bright and red as it cut through the gloom of the early morning.

As Belle walked through the halls of her family home she began to wonder how far away her soul mate was. They would almost certainly not be in the castle; they might not even be in her country.  Instead of being intimidated Belle was excited by the prospect, this could be her chance to see the world; and if this person was her true love then they would probably love traveling too.  Excitement bubbled up and she felt a smile began to pull at her lips.  Picking up her pace she couldn’t help the giddiness making her steps lighter.  First she’d see which direction it led and then she’d go pack a bag for the weather in the counties that way, then she’d grab a bag of food and set off.

The string led her down several flights of stairs to where the stables and practice courtyard for the knights were.  Soon the clanging of steel against steel filled the air but Belle paid it no mind; she was too busy thinking of all the places that lay to the North of them.  It would be cold, there were mountains separating their kingdom and the next with small villages dotted around the slopes. She would need a warm change of clothes and the horse she took would have to be one of the hardier stock they bred for their cold winters.  Belle was brought out of her excited daydreaming when she felt the thread begin to tug, almost as if it were excited.

Frowning she kept following it, the sounds of mock combat growing louder.  Now she could hear grunting along with the clang of metal. She let out a displeased sigh when she realized one of the voices was clearing her new fiancé.  It seemed she’d have to see him one last time before their engagement was broken.  Perhaps that would be for the best, once he saw the string wrapped around her finger he would know what she had done and she would be free.  Her smile returned at the thought and she happily walked into the courtyard.

At first her eyes bypassed the knight’s swinging the heavy weapons around and the other’s standing around, instead she looked eagerly to the open gate that led to her future.  Only now that was looking she realized it didn’t, the string wasn’t leading to the North, up into the mountains and the great wide somewhere.  The thread was twisted around the feet of the men in the ring.

With a sinking heart she looked between the two knights.  First at her fiancé as he demonstrated to the squires the best way to lung and keep balanced and then at the man that easily parried his blow.  It was unmistakeable who the string was connected to, but it must have been a mistake, a terrible horrible mistake.  Belle watched as if she were outside her own body as her fiancé turned away from his sparring partner and saw her.  He smiled in a way that most would describe as charming, but she would consider smug, and he stuck his sword into the ground and swaggered to her side.

“Good morning, Princess.”  He said, taking her left hand with his and pressing a feather light kiss to the red thread that made her skin all but crawl.  It wasn’t invisible, he could see the length twined around her finger; he was mocking her.

“Good morning.”  She bit out, removing her hand from his and turning away so she didn’t have to look at his self-satisfied grin.

“I am honoured by your presence,”  He told her as he took a step back, his eyes flicking along her body in an overly familiar way.  “But what brings you here this morning?”

“I am sure you know why, My Lord.”  Belle replied with a glare.  He was just like every other knight she’d ever met; on the surface he seemed gallant and noble, but really his ego was larger than her father’s castle.

“Perhaps the thread?”  He suggested, gesturing to the ground where the string lay in a haphazard tangle.  “I apologize that it is in such disarray, but luckily I can save you the trouble of finding its other end.”  The golden knight lifted his hand where the string had tied itself around his ring finger, sealing her fate more than any engagement ever could.

“I can see that, Lord Rumplestiltskin.”  She bit out.

Before he could say another work Belle turned and quickly walked away.  The string was wrong, somehow he’d bewitched it into choosing him; the very idea that her true love would be the famous knight and Light One, Rumplestiltskin, was laughable.  She would find a way to choose her fate and break her engagement. Belle refused to ever marry that man, and certainly her heart would never be his either.


	2. Chapter 2

Once Belle returned to her room she angrily removed the thread connecting her to Rumplestiltskin and threw herself on her bed.  For a long moment she glared at the wall, simply allowing herself to feel irate.  The only explanation that made any sense was that he had used his magic to change the course of the red string.  Somehow he must have known she would use it.  Or perhaps he had been walking the halls when he’d seen it going about the business of finding her real true love.  Shoving her face in her pillow she let out a string of curses unbefitting for a Princess.  The heated words were followed by frustrated tears as she held her pillow.

Now that her first plan had been thwarted she needed to come up with a different idea, but for the moment she let out her pent up annoyance.  Belle thought she’d made peace with marrying someone she didn’t love, but now that she had been so close to finding love she felt the painful stab of disappointment all over again.  Rolling over she let out an unhappy sigh, throwing her hand over her eyes to block out the early morning light.  She frowned when something like rough yarn brushed her cheek.  Her frown deepened when she realized the thread was wrapped around her finger again.  Belle thought she had removed it from her hand when she’d entered her room, was it possible she’d been mistaken?

A thought occurred to her and she sat up quickly, her heart pounding.  Was it possible that the trick Rumplestiltskin had used had come to an end?  Did that mean her real true love was at the other end of this string now?  She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.  No, she knew better, her was still there, with his smug smile and fake charm.  No matter how she wished he wasn’t the one the string had pointed to he still was.  There must be another reason why it had reattached itself to her.  The mystery gave her something to focus on beside her disappointment and frustration.  For the second time that day she left her room, but this time she made her way to her mother’s library instead of following the charmed thread.  Her mother had a whole collection of texts on magic and simple charms that would be able to tell her what was going on.

The library was always a soothing place for her.  Whenever she was having a hard time she knew she could visit this sanctuary of books and immediately feel better.  Taking a deep breath she began to feel calmer and more in control.  Everything was going to be okay.  She began to pick through the collection of fairy texts and spell books until she found a promising tome that was about simple charms to help around the home and to find love and luck.  Belle curled up with the book in a large comfy chair and began to scan the contents of the books to see if it would have the spell she wanted.

_To Find Love with Thread_

Was written three fourths down the page and she smiled when she saw it.  Flipping to the marked page she scanned the spell quickly, confirming it was the enchantment she had used and then she began to read in earnest.  The first part of the spell detailed what would be needed and what to expect while casting it as well as how long to expect the spell to last.  Since it was a charm that was attached to an object instead of a person it would last for years upon years, but when the coloured dulled it would need to be recast.  Belle eyed the string around her finger critically, noting that it was still bright and flashy.  She kept reading, frowning when she saw the next line.

_If the thread is tampered with in anyway it will turn black and fall off from the tied finger.  This includes if it is bewitched while it is winding its way to one’s true love._

Belle’s stomach began to sink as she looked at the words.  They had to be a lie; it wasn’t possible, he hadn’t cheated in some way.  The spell must have messed up in some way, but that didn’t explain why the thread had returned to her hand.  Maybe she had been right, perhaps it had been a mistake and now her real true love was waiting for her.  Magic was a finicky art; it was possible the person that had cast the charm had made a mistake.  She didn’t want to hope, but she couldn’t help it, her heart was a hopeful thing and now that she had come up with a solution to her obvious problem she couldn’t help but cling to it.  That still left the matter of removing the string; something the book said could only be done by a kiss shared between those it was tied to.  That idea made two red spots appear on Belle’s cheeks from embarrassment and irritation.

There seemed to be nothing for it, the book said no more about the subject.  Belle looked at the string and sighed.  Perhaps it would fall off by itself, and if not she would always have to kiss him during their wedding.  One way, or another, this string would be removed.  Of course she couldn’t help but wish the thread would turn black and remove itself, freeing her to refuse the suit of Lord Rumplestiltskin and either pick a more suitable husband herself, or may even get lucky enough to find her real true love.  At the moment she couldn’t do anything else, so she put the spell book away and grabbed an old favourite to calm her mind.  _Her Handsome Hero_ never failed to immerse her in its story and always made her feel better.

She intended to spend the rest of the day doing a bit of reading, and perhaps a bit of pouting as well, but as she looked up she found her fiancé standing in the door way.  He smiled at her in that infuriatingly charming way.  She forced out her own smile and then buried her nose in the book to look as if she were frightfully busy so he knew not to bother her.  She chewed her lip when it became clear he was going to stay where he was, her irritation beginning to grow.  Was it not enough that they were going to be wed, did he need to follow her around as well?  Didn’t his Lordship have something else to do with his time?  He had seemed to take to Lady Cora the night before, why couldn’t he go see if she required anymore of his overly charismatic attention.  Finally it was too much and she closes her book with a sharp crack.

“Is there a reason you’re here?”  She snapped.

“Your mother suggested we spend some time together.”  He replied with a sheepish smile.

“And you thought the best way to do that was to haunt my every step on this pleasant morning?”  Belle asked, trying to remain polite but totally failing.  Just because her fiancé was a heel didn’t mean she had to be, and yet here she was.

“No, I just…”  He shrugged and tried to smile at her in a way that no doubt melted more than one cold heart; it would not melt hers.  “I didn’t want to interrupt you if what you were doing was important, but…”  He shrugged again.

Belle sighed and crossed her arms.  “What did you have in mind for today?”

“Perhaps a walk in the gardens, and then maybe a trip into town?”  He suggested as the thumb and forefinger of his right hand rubbing together as he asked.

The idea wasn’t very appealing, but it would be rude to say now, so Belle sighed and set her book aside.  “That sounds like it would be a wonderful way to spend the day.”

“That’s wonderful, thank you!  I mean, would you like to go now?”  Lord Rumplestiltskin stumbled over himself.

Arm in arm they walked around the garden, an awkward silence having settled heavily onto them.  Belle wasn’t particularly thrilled with a silent walk among the shrubbery, but Rumplestiltskin seemed to be just as uncomfortable.  As she studied him from out of the corner of her eye she wondered for the first time why he had agreed to this arrangement.  Both her mother and father believed that he would be a good match for her, something that she couldn’t fathom, given how he had so far treated her.  She wasn’t especially fond of knights and lords, and certainly not ones that acted the way he did.  Belle frowned as she remembered the way he had flirted with Lady Cora at supper the night before and she turned away to focus on the flowers.

This wasn’t going to work.  She looked down at the bright red string still attached to her and then allowed her eyes to wander to where the second end was still attached to her fiancé.  How was it possible this man was her true love?  He was so arrogant and self centered, she could clearly tell his smile and charm was all fake; he was hiding something, his mask was as clear as day to her.  Everyone said the Light One was a hero that had saved countless people and had a good and noble heart, but this man looked more interested in polishing his armour.

“Will you take a seat, my Princess?”  He asked, pulling her from her thoughts and motioning to a stone bench on the side of the path.

“If it pleases you, my Lord.”  She replied, sitting down, making sure to move her skirts so there was room enough for him to sit beside her, even though she’d rather he not.

No doubt this was when he would try to steal a kiss she was not willing to give.  Instead he took her by surprise, choosing to kneel in front of her and gently taking her hands in his.

“Princess Belle,”  Rumplestiltskin began, stopping to clear his throat.  “Your parents have given me permission to take your hand in marriage, but I want to ask you myself, will you have me as your husband?”

Belle’s eyes widened at the sudden turn of events.  This was her chance, she could tell him no and it would be his own fault.  No doubt this was all for show and he would marry her no matter what, but if she rejected him and he pushed the issue she would know his true self.  At the same time he was looking at her so hopefully, a flash of vulnerability in his eyes.  Her heart flipped oddly and she worried her lower lip.

“Before I answer, will you answer a question for me?”  She asked.

“Of course, anything.”  He replied with a genuine smile.

“Why do you want to marry me?”  Belle whispered, looking away from him self-consciously.

“Being a knight of the realm is lonely, and…”  His voice caught and then he cleared his throat.  Belle turned back to look at him, he seemed to be debating telling her something and she couldn’t help but hope he would be honest with her.  “Terrifying.”  He finished.  “I’ve been hoping to find someone that I could share my life with, but there has been no one that suits.  I’m told you are kind and brave and well read; those are all the things I wish for in a bride.  That is why I want to marry you, my Princess.”

Her cheeks began to heat as she looked down at the man before her.  How was she to reply to such sweet words?  Impulsively she used his hold on her hands to pull him up and press a kiss to his lips.  It was quick, over almost as soon as it had begun, but it made her shiver and her cheeks grow even hotter.  Belle stood quickly feeling completely foolish and picked up her skirts to run, leaving her fiancé behind her without another word.  She had a lot of things to think about and she couldn’t sort out any of those things while he was looking at her with such naked admiration.

Perhaps she had been mistaken about him, or perhaps not and he was simply fooling her as well as he fooled everyone else.  She couldn’t decide which would be worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Belle hid herself away in her room for the rest of the day, refusing to come out for anything.  She made her excuses, claiming she had taken sick, but she had a sneaking suspicion her mother didn’t believe her.  When her Mama came to her room to check on her Belle was all but hiding under her covers, her nose firmly buried in a book even though she was hardly seeing the words before her.  Instead she was silently berating herself for what she’d done.  Why had she kissed him?  What had she been thinking?  She hadn’t been, obviously, she’d been swept away by his charming words and the fake sincerity in his eyes.  At least her groan of frustration helped convince her Mama she was too sick to eat supper with company.

If nothing else the string had removed itself from her finger after she’d kissed him, just as the spell had said it would.  It seemed that was just more proof that the spell had been cast correctly. Belle refused to let herself dwell on that thought and simply enjoyed her book for the rest of the night.

The next day was better; she refused to hide in her room because of a self-absorbed suitor that had made her lose her head for a moment.  One kiss, even if it was her first, didn’t mean she was in love with him or had forgotten what he was really like.  She kept that in mind as he asked her to go for a ride with him.  There would be no polite way to refuse, and Belle decided that she would use this opportunity to make it clear that the kiss was a heat of the moment mistake and he shouldn’t expect it to happen again.

In the stables Belle fiddled with her gloves as a groomsman readied her horse and Rumplestiltskin saddled his mare.  She tried not to watch as he fed his mount a large red apple and spoke softly to her.  His hand moved down the animal’s neck as he smiled and told her what they’d be doing for the day and ridiculously Belle wondered what it would feel like if he ran his hand down her body instead.  She glared at his back as the thought occurred to her and she left the stable, telling the man in charge of her horse to bring it to her in the courtyard.  The wait wasn’t long and when Rumplestiltskin offered to help her onto her horse she told him she could handle it herself.  Belle never rode side saddle; it made her feel unstable and kept her from going as fast as she wanted.  Philippe knew to bend down for her so despite her smaller stature and his height she was able to mount him without any help.

With a click of her tongue and a gentle kick to his sides she raced out of the castle gates and into the field beyond.  It was a short ride to the town the castle presided over, but instead Belle steered them towards the open lands near the shore.  She was a little annoyed that her fiancé was keeping pace with her, but then again she was annoyed by almost everything he did.  Belle looked over at him and he smiled at her, his hair blowing in the wind and she began to feel her cheeks redden.  Biting her lip she looked away, finding herself frustrated all over again.

It would be so easy to just let him lull her into a sense of security.  He was charming and noble and everything a knight was supposed to be, but that’s not what she wanted in a man, and it especially wasn’t what she wanted when she knew it was all fake.  Belle knew the only real gallant knights were in books, she’d learned that lesson after Gaston had tried to win her hand.  Yet here she was again, falling for a counterfeit smile and a few charismatic words.

Their pace slowed and she looked over at Lord Rumplestiltskin.  He might not be the usual image of a knight, he was short rather than tall, and wiry instead of overly muscled, but he had the same boisterous personality.  In their first conversation he had tried to wow her with tales of his adventures and heroics.  He was the opposite of modest when talking about the many people he had saved from the ogres and had even offered to show her his magic in a more private setting if she wanted.  His chivalry was a farce and his flirtatious streak was a mile wide.  The most damming part of their first meeting was that he hadn’t known who she was.  He had been there to meet his future wife, the princess even, and in the minutes before that he’d been trying to charm a stranger that he had no way of knowing was his fiancée.

Belle gave Philippe his head as she got further lost in thought.  The look in his eyes when they were introduced had been the only thing that had confused her.  He looked relieved, not horrified that he’d been boldly flirting with her without knowing who she was.  Then he’d smiled at her in that infuriating way that made her heart forgets itself.  For a short time she had been fooled, thinking that his charm was perhaps all just a mask he wore, the idea excited her, but then he had spent the night flirting with Lady Cora and she knew there was no mast.  He was as deep as a puddle from a short spring shower and as layered as a single page of paper.

“Princess,”  Rumplestiltskin called, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Yes?”  She asked, pulling back on the rains so she was alongside him.

“Would you like to stop now?  We could let our horses graze and perhaps we could walk along the beach?”  He offered.

Patting Philippe’s neck she looked down at her horse.  “Would you like that?”  She asked him.  He didn’t reply, instead lowering his head to nose along the ground for some particularly tasty foliage.  _Traitor_ , she thought.  Sighing Belle turned back to her companion.  “Yes, I suppose we could do that.”

She let him help her down from Philippe a fissure of something she didn’t want to explore traveling through her as their hands touched.  Belle pulled her hand back as soon as she could, looking away from his searching brown eyes.  It was hard to remember that she didn’t like him when his stupid handsome face was so close to hers.  He offered her his arm, but she began to walk without taking it, she needed to keep her mind clear when she was around him.  Touching him was a bad idea, especially since last time they had prolonged contact she’d kissed him.

“I hope you don’t find this rude of me, Princess,”  Rumplestiltskin said as they began to walk along the shore.  “But you didn’t answer my question.”

“I think perhaps my flight might have been answer enough.”  Belle replied.

“Ah, I see.”  He murmured, his thumb and forefinger beginning to rub together.  “I had wondered if that was the case, but I was confused by your actions before you fled.”

“I believe it is impolite to bring such a thing up, my Lord.”  She snapped, turning to face him with a glare.

“I’m sorry, Princess, you’re right.”  He said as he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.  “It’s just…”

“What?”  She asked warily”

“Maybe I went this about this the wrong way.”  Rumplestiltskin said.  She watched as he began to play with the sleeve of his tunic.  “Princess Belle, will you do me the honour of allowing me to court you?  You need not agree to marry me, and if we do not suit I will leave you be, but will you give me a chance to earn your affection?”

Belle chewed her lower lip.  If she said no then her problem would be solved, but there was the matter of her parents, and of the sting.  She didn’t want to believe it had been right, but what if it was?  What if this was her chance to find love?  “Let’s see how today goes.”  She finally replied.  “I’ll give you my answer at supper tonight.”

“Thank you, my Princess.”  He said, letting out a relieved breath and smiled.

Gently he took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.  This time when he offered her his arm she took it, uneasy with her reluctance to simply end their engagement.  She couldn’t take the silence that had descended over them as they walked a little farther.  Belle stole looks at him, noting that he seemed pensive about something.  The feeling was mutual, but she doubted they were worried about the same thing.  No doubt he was trying to come up with a plan to make her fall head over heels in love with him in a matter of hours.  He wouldn’t succeed, of that she was sure, and then she could reject him guilt free.  If her mother or father tried to admonish her she could tell them honestly that she’d given him a chance.  But giving him a chance meant _actually_ giving him a chance.

“Where do you come from, my Lord?”  Belle managed to ask, breaking the silence.

“I come from the Frontlands.”  He told her.  “It’s beautiful there, wide open fields and peaceful too, a good place for raising sheep.”

“Sheep?”  She asked, looking at him in confusion.  That was an odd thing for a Lord to care about.

“Yes, I grew up herding sheep, before, well, before I was drafted.”  Rumplestiltskin replied.  “I’d spend my days in the field with my dog; I’ve never met a more loyal pup, and watching the sheep as they got up to all kinds of shenanigans.”

Belle couldn’t help but feel herself smile.  “That seems an odd pastime for a Lord’s son.”

“Aye, it would be, if I were the son of a Lord.”  He said.  At her confused look he smiled self-consciously.  “I earned my title during the Ogre Wars.”  He explained.  “Before that I was nothing but the son of a spinner, and rather good at the trade myself.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”  Belle whispered, noting that he was rubbing his fingers together again.  He seemed to do that every time he was nervous.

“Not many people do, I don’t often speak of my younger years.  Mostly everyone wants to hear about my time as a knight.”  There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke and Belle found herself sympathizing with him.

Often times people found themselves cast in roles they didn’t want to play; Belle knew that better than most.  She’d be happy spending her life reading and exploring the world, but as a Princess destined to marry and bare children as heirs to the crown it was not to be.  Perhaps Rumplestiltskin wore his arrogance the way she wore her docility.  Unbidden the image of him flirting with Lady Cora over dinner came to her and she frowned.  If it were a mask then he was very comfortable in it, so much so that one might mistake it for his face.

The thought could have spoiled the day, if it wasn’t soon forgotten by Rumplestiltskin mentioning another part of his childhood.

She ended up laughing so hard her stomach hurt as he told her about the time he ended up hanging upside down while trying to get back a wayward lamb.  Belle couldn’t help but offer her own childhood mishap after that and they both spent the rest of the day sitting in the grass by the shore as they spoke of their childhood.  Around noon he produced some bread, cheese and wine from his mare’s pack that they shared while soaking up the sun.

“Why did you become a knight if you enjoyed spinning?”  She asked as she sipped from her tin cup.  It wasn’t the most orthodox thing to drink wine from, but she found herself enjoying it all the same.

“I wanted to do what I could; the front was getting closer and…”  He looked away and took a drink.  “I had people I wanted to protect.”  He finished.

“Who?”  Belle questioned.  Rumplestiltskin didn’t answer right away as he bowed his head, his hair covering his eyes.

“Someone I failed.”  He replied simply.

“I-I’m sorry.”  Belle whispered.

“Thank you.”  He whispered back.  Rumplestiltskin cleared his throat and looked up at the sky.  “It’s getting dark; I should return you to the castle before anyone gets worried.”

“Are you sure, my Lord?  The sooner we return the sooner I’ll have to give you my answer.”  Belle said, trying to lighten the mood.

He smiled sadly at her and stood, offering her his hand.  “Until then, would you do me the honour of calling me Rumple?”

“O-oh, yes, alright… Rumple.”  Belle replied as she took his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

They returned to the castle and she allowed Rumple to help her down from Philippe.  Soon she would be free of her engagement to him, and Belle had a feeling that he knew what her answer would be.  He bowed to her and kissed her hand as she left the horse stalls to change and it made her stomach squirm oddly.  Foolishly she turned around just as she was leaving the stables and saw him looking at her; something in his eyes spoke to her but she refused to be drawn in.  Berating herself she fled to her room to try and distract herself.

Now she was in nothing but her underwear looking at her dresses before her maids would come to help her change.  She sat on her bed and sighed.  What was wrong with her?  Spending one day with a man shouldn’t be enough to make her feel like she could easily spend the rest of her life with him.  Certainly she wasn’t in love with him, but she would be lying if her feelings hadn’t softened to him.  Would it be so bad to marry him?  Belle had resigned herself to a marriage like her parents.  They hadn’t known each other when they’d married, but they had grown to love each other, Belle could still see it when they looked at one another.

Her parents always told her that real happy marriages were built on respect and friendship, and love would come after.  Could she have that with Rumple?  There was more to him then she had first thought, and she did like layers, but could they be happy?  He was respectful, but did he respect her?  He was friendly, but could they be friends?  Then of course there was the matter of the magic she had used.  It had pointed to him and she was beginning to come to terms with that.  Apart of her still believed it was wrong, but she was also afraid.

If it was wrong and she married him because of that they might not be happy; but if _she_ was wrong she might be walking away from her chance at true love.  Fear was an emotion Belle hated feeling; and worrying about this was doing nothing for her.  She plucked at the lace of her underclothes, her lips a thin line of annoyance that was directed purely at herself.  Why couldn’t she just come to a decision?  It wasn’t as if she were agreeing to marry him, she was just letting him court her.  Why did it feel like this was the biggest choice of her life?

A soft knock from her maid broke her thoughts and she sighed.  It seemed she was out of time, as soon as she was dressed she needed to meet Rumple before supper to give him her answer.

The golden dress she picked out was one of her favourites.  It fit her like a glove without being restrictive, was suitable for supper or for a more relaxed ball, and the skirts were manageable.  As a Princess it was considered bad form to wear the same thing more than once, but she had managed to get away with wearing this one several times.  It made her feel brave.

Rumple was waiting for her in a secluded clearing in the rose garden.  It was private thanks to the tall shrubbery surrounding them, but not so private that it would be scandalous if they were found together alone.  A fountain stood in the middle, the white marble gleaming in the sunset, long shadows being cast by the bushes but it was still bright enough to see.  Once it grew darker magic would take over and several lanterns would light to give everything a soft white glow.  It was a beautiful scene and there was her possibly fiancé standing in the middle of it all, his hands clapped behind his back as he waited for her.

She watched him for a moment before he saw her.  Belle noticed that he looked nervous his fingers were rubbing together again even though they were behind his back.  Brushing her skirts to make sure she was presentable she took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows to greet him.  His eyes were filled with relief when he saw her and his smile was unsure and rather boyish as he took her hand and kissed it.  Belle licked her lips nervously as she looked at him, her hand still held by his.  She knew her answer but saying it would be hard, already the words were trapped in her throat, stubbornly refusing to come out.

“I’m glad you came.”  Rumple said, breaking the silence.

“It would have been rude of me not to; I have an answer to give you.”  She replied, her heart beginning to race.

“Yes,”  He said simply.

She chewed her lower lip and then squared her shoulders.  “I will allow you to court me to see if we are a match for a year and a day.  If by then we are not I will have to refuse your suit.”

He nodded.  “That’s very kind of you, my Princess.”  Rumple kissed her hand again and then looked into her eyes with a shy smile.  “May I kiss you?”  He asked.

Belle’s eyes widened, her cheeks beginning to burn but she nodded.  Her eyes closed as he leaned in and she was sure he could hear her heart as it thundered in her chest.  She certainly couldn’t hear anything else.  The touch of his lips was soft and brief, lingering only slightly as they caught her lower lip.  Belle felt rather dizzy when he pulled back, her eyes fluttering open.  She cleared her throat and stepped away from her, removing her hand from his she brought it up to her cheek in a poor attempt to hide her blush.

“Yes, well, I think we best be going inside, I believe it is almost time for supper.”  With those words she turned on her heel and fled the garden.

Running from him had been mildly silly, considering they had to sit beside each other for the evening meal.  Compared to the first formal dinner they had shared Belle was rather pleased with this one.  Rumple was attentive without being smothering, his conversation was light and cheerful with those around him, and he paid Lady Cora no mind as politely as possible when she tried to get his attention.  The only problem had nothing to do with her fiancé; instead it was the sly looks her mother kept shooting her.  Colette could clearly tell that she and Rumple had come to an understanding and she was not so subtly showing her approval.  Belle really wished her Mama wouldn’t be so obvious in her looks, who knows how other people were interpreting them.

The rest of the night was just as enjoyable, but while Belle lay in bed she felt restless.

When she felt agitated and couldn’t sleep she’d usually do one of two things; she’d either read until she fell asleep, or would put on a robe and sneak into the gardens.  Tonight was one of those rare nights where a stroll would do her more good than reading something.  There was a chill in the night so she wrapped herself in warm wrap and put on a thick pair of boots.  She snuck out of her room and down into the gardens.  The fairy lights were glowing softly casting strange shadows along the path but the cool air and dark atmosphere was just what she needed.  Belle sighed and let the nip in the breeze sooth her, already she was beginning to feel drowsy, and soon she would be able to return to bed and finally get some sleep.  As she was thinking that she heard softer murmuring among the rose garden.

Belle smirked to herself as the murmuring continued.  There could only be something scandalous going on in the gardens so late at night, and she couldn’t help but let curiosity lead her feet along the path.  It certainly wasn’t the most appropriate thing for a princess to be doing, but she couldn’t help the intrigue.  She wasn’t one for gossip, and what she saw would stay between her and possibly her journal if it were very shocking but that didn’t stop her from wanting to know who was meeting in the garden so late at night.  The shadows grew darker as she moved through the shrubbery and soon she was standing in the same place she had accepted Rumple’s suit.  Whoever was meeting had chosen the same fountain.

Peeking around the corner she frowned when she realized it was Lady Cora.  She’d never liked the woman, and her outrageous flirting with a man that was supposed to be engaged had only soured her to Belle further.  Craning her neck she tried to see who she was talking to, but she couldn’t without risking being seen.  Belle was about to give up and allow the two lovebirds their privacy when she heard a familiar name.

“Rumple, you really are a bad liar.”  Lady Cora purred.

“Cora, I’m being serious…”  His voice was cut off and Belle felt as if she were going to be sick.

Daringly she looked around the bush to see what was happening.  She had to muffle a pained gasp as the moonlight and garden lamps illuminated the scene.  Belle saw it for only a second before she was turning to run back to her room, her eyes filled with angry tears.  But it was long enough for the fragile beginning of her feelings for Rumple to shatter the same way a tea cup might shatter if dropped.  He had been kissing Lady Cora; kissing her in the same place he had kissed _her_.  The image was burned into her mind, and she knew she couldn’t face him feeling like this, she couldn’t face anyone.

For a moment she had been fooled into believing he could be anything other than a philandering boor but he was just like every other knight.  What made it hurt worse was that she had known, she had seen his true colours and still allowed herself to fall victim to his machinations.  She was a fool for thinking they could be happy together.  Love needed more than a charming smile, an electrifying kiss and an enchanted string to grow but that seemed to be all he had to offer.  Belle didn’t care anymore what magic thought, it had been wrong and even if it hadn’t she was the master of her own fate.  She wouldn’t allow her true love to be dictated by some thread she’d bought as a young girl.

With her mind made up she returned to her room.  Quickly Belle packed a bag, dressed in simple clothes for the road that wouldn’t draw attention to her and re-braided her hair into a more simple plait.  Then she snuck down to the stables.  All the groomsmen and stable boys were asleep as she had been hoping, and it was the work of minutes to tempt Philippe awake with a nice sweet apple.  He was a good horse and could sense her mood, so he was quiet when she hushed him and cooperated when she saddled him up despite her being out of practice.  She led him out of the stables and through the courtyard in the darkness and when they were at the North gate she stopped.  Casting one last look at the castle she said her silent goodbyes to her family.  Someday she would return, but for now she wanted to see the world.

With a well-practiced motion she mounted Philippe and spurred him forward to her future in the great wide somewhere.  She didn’t know where she was going, but she didn’t care, that was what would make it an adventure.


	5. Chapter 5

Belle rode for two days straight, stopping only to eat her small amount of previsions and let Philippe rest.  She knew someone would be sent to follow her and she wanted to get as much of a head start as possible.  No doubt her parents would be worried; despite the note she had left them explaining that she needed to see the world and that she would return once she had.  Honestly it had been a little impulsive to run off because of the actions of a man she wasn’t in love with, but that’s the kind of person she was.  More than once she had considered turning around, but she really did want to see everything the world had to offer her.  Belle soothed any apprehension by promising herself she’d send her parent’s letters on her journey so they wouldn’t worry too badly.

When she was sure she was far enough away that chances of being recognized were low she let Philippe go.  He knew his way home and she could already tell he was heading to the castle as she watched him run off.  It would be slower going without him but she could wander where she wished now and rent a horse if she wanted; and now she could go places any people on horseback looking for her couldn’t.  Belle hadn’t taken much with her, but she had lined her pockets and seams with enough gold and silver to keep her comfortable on the road for at least a few months.

As far as she could tell no one recognized her when she entered a quaint little inn just outside of a town known for being a busy trading hub.  She bought herself a hot meal and a mug of beer before settling in a corner and considering her options.  The town’s roads lead in every direction on the map and her options were almost limitless; but she didn’t want to stay too close to home.  It would have been pointless for her to leaving if she did that.  Taking a swig of her drink she looked at the worn map pinned to the wall.  It showed all the safest trading routs and where the cargo would be coming from in red ink.  Her eyes followed most of the trails until she came to one that would be easy enough to get to, but far enough away that it would be the adventure she was looking for.

She left the town and caught a ride on a cart heading in the direction she was going to, flipping through a small travel atlas she had brought with her.  It took up precious space in the small pack she’d chosen to take with her, but it was worth it.  The book helpfully detailed landmarks to watch out for and common dangers in different areas, something that would be invaluable for her.  All Belle had with her was a small knife, she knew how to use it, but it would be small comfort if she were ambushed by monsters or bandits.  Even in the safer areas marked on the map it would be best not to flash too much of the gold she was carrying.

Leaning back against the straw in the cart she let out a sigh and looked at the blue sky above.  She was free, for the first time she was truly free to do as she wanted.  No one could tell her what to do or say, she didn’t have to eat delicately or drink a certain way.  And certainly no one would try to make her marry a self-centered duplicitous knight.

Belle frowned as she thought of Lord Rumplestiltskin.  She had only caught a very quick glance of what he and Lady Cora had been doing, in fact she had hardly seen it at all, but her mind was very creative.  The scenes her mind concocted were burned into the back of her eyes, each growing worse than the one before it.  Was he simply a cad that didn’t care who he was able to lure into his trap of infatuation, or had he and Lady Cora been involved for a long time?  Had she been a toy for him to amuse himself with, or was it instead a plot to steal the crown?  How simple it would be for him to take Belle’s hand and then once a tragic accident befell her, for him to marry the woman he was truly in love with and rule with a queen he actually cared for.

Tears began to blur her vision and she blinked rapidly to get rid of them.  She had cried about this enough the night she had seen them together, she would not cry again.

Even with that self-imposed decree something in her heart burned.  It was an emotion Belle refused to give a name to, but one that had been with her from the very moment he had smiled as Lady Cora at that first supper.  If she were younger her Mama would chide her and Papa would warn that she would turn green.  She was no longer a child and was certainly not _jealous_ , the thought was ludicrous.  Lady Cora could have the arrogant bastard, she didn’t care.

The cart lurched, knocking Belle out of her angry stupor and she groaned as she sat back up.  Looking around she realized they’d stopped in seemingly the middle of nowhere.  Around them were fields of golden grain and not another soul.  Nervously she turned to the portly old man that had been driving the cart. He was still as the grave and so was his mule, almost unnaturally so.  Biting her lower lip Belle steamed the tide of panic that was beginning to rise within her.  Surely there must be some reasonable explanation, and once she knew it she would feel silly for ever worrying.  She was fine, everything was fine.

“Sir, um, sir, why have we stopped?”  Belle managed to ask.

“Because I stopped him.”

Belle turned around in shock, almost falling out of the cart as she did so.  Astride his mare in front of her was the man that had been preoccupying her thoughts, Lord Rumplestiltskin in all his golden armour.  He hadn’t been there when she’d sat up, it would have been impossible for her to miss him; the road had been empty before.  But there he was right in the middle as if he’d been there for hours waiting for her.  Looking at him brought on a maelstrom of emotions, the strongest of which was anger.  Gritting her teeth she jumped up, standing on the cart so their eyes would be almost level.

“What are _you_ doing here?”  She bit out.

“Your parents sent me, everyone’s worried, Princess.”  He replied, his disapproval dripping thickly from every word.

“And I’m sure most of all.”  She shot back.  “What’s wrong, have you and the Lady Cora had a spat?”

His eyes widened in shock and she allowed herself a moment to enjoy it.  Then his brows came down in a heavy frown.  “I have no connection to Lady Cora, Princess.  I am engaged to be wed to you, no one else.”

“I didn’t agree to that!”  Belle said.  “I gave you the right to court me for a year and a day, but after just three I know we are not a match.”

“You haven’t even given me a chance!”  Rumple replied hotly.  “For two of those days you’ve been gods know where doing gods know what!”

“I saw you kiss her!”  She screamed back, righteous anger filling her.  Belle would not allow him to criticize her when _he_ had been the unfaithful one.

Rumple’s horse shifted nervously as they raised their voices but he didn’t notice.  Instead he looked as if she had told him he had three heads.

“I didn’t kiss Lady Cora.”  He said, his voice low and serious.  She couldn’t help but notice he didn’t have to ask who she was talking about.

Belle let out a forced laugh.  “I know what I saw, my lord, or perhaps are you calling me a liar?”

“I’m saying that you didn’t understand what you no doubt saw.”  Rumple said.

“Then explain it to me.”  Belle said with a doubtful scoff and a roll of her eyes.

“Cora, Lady Cora, and I have a history.”  He began.  “She wanted to… rekindle what we had once had, but I refused her.  She tried to kiss me, but I didn’t let her.”

“You expect me to believe that?”  She asked.  “I know your kind; you’re nothing but pretty words.”

His lips thinned at her words.  “It hurts to know you think so lowly of my character, Princess, but why would I cultivate the attentions of another woman when I have a chance to marry the woman that is my true love?”

Belle crossed her arms and turned away, she refused to look at him any longer.  “That string is nothing but a simple charm.  I’m sure it was mistaken, and clearly you had no trouble _cultivating_ attention during the first night we met.”

“Wise of you to doubt the thread and it’s charm but I checked it when it first appeared.  It was cast correctly and did what it was meant to do, connect the souls of two people meant to find eternal bliss in love.”  Rumple explained.

“As if I’d believe _anything_ you said after the way you’ve behaved.”  She replied.

“Fine.”  He sighed.  She heard the clinking of armour and the rustling of clothes, the sounds of which were enough to make her dare to turn back around.  Rumple had removed himself from his saddle and was on one knee, his head bowed.  “I release you from our contract.”  He said.  “I will return and tell your parents we have come to a decision and I will withdraw my suit.”

“Oh.”  She said simply.  That wasn’t what she had been expecting him to say.  “W-well _good_!  I never wanted to marry you anyway.”

“You have made that abundantly clear over our acquaintanceship.”  Rumple replied.

“I’m not the one lining up a mistress even before I was wed.”  Belle snuffed haughtily.

“Princess Belle,”  Rumple said, his voice rough.  “Now that we are no longer engaged and I am free to speak without worry of ruining our relationship I can say this to you.  I have never met a more insufferably stubborn and blind royal in my life, and I have met many insufferable royals.”

“If I am so insufferable then why did you want to marry me?  Hmm?  Seems you would have been better off rekindling your history with Lady Cora!”  Belle said.

“Oh for the love of– I don’t want Cora!”  He bellowed, taking her and his horse by surprise at his outburst.  “I haven’t been flirting with her, I haven’t been kissing her.  I’ve been avoiding her because she doesn’t understand what ‘no’ means.  But nothing I say will convince you because no matter what you already made your mind up about me before we had even met.”

“What am I supposed to think of you?  You didn’t even know who I was and decided to flirt with me the first time we met.”  Belle said coolly.

“You think I didn’t know who you were?”  He asked, dumbfounded.  “You think I approached a random woman at court, on the day I was to meet my _fiancée_ , and chose then to flirt for no other reason than the pleasure of it?  When I and everyone else knows about the Princess that walked in on her previous fiancé in the embrace of a man?  I knew who you were, Princess.”

Belle frowned.  “Gaston and I were even less suited then you and I are.”

Gaston had never won her heart, and he hadn’t gotten as close as Rumple had.  But it had still stung to find him with someone else after months of his sweet words.  It wasn’t even that he had been with a man, that almost seemed to soften the blow, truth be told.  If she was that far away from what he wanted then it didn’t hurt much at all after the initial shock and betrayal.  It was different with Rumple, not only was he interested in women, he was too interested, and she would not go blissfully into a marriage where she risked walking in on him with someone and having her heart broken even worse.

“I have heard that, yes.”  He said, his fingers beginning to rub together.

“If you knew all that, then why did you moon over Lady Cora so openly?”  Belle managed to ask.  All the fight from her was gone.  Now she was just tired and confused.

“A smile is not the same as flirting or mooning, to do less to a member of your father’s court would be rude, so I tried to make a good impression and be pleasant.  I’m sorry that my actions hurt you.” Rumple said, sounding just as tired.

His apology hit her harder then she had been expecting.  Against her will tears began to well up in her eyes.  She bit her lower lip in an attempt to try and stem them.  Gaston had never apologized for humiliating her.  He had blamed her for feeling betrayed and had tried to make her still marry him.  Rumple wasn’t doing any of that, he had said sorry, not sorry that she felt the way she did, but honestly sorry that he had hurt her with his actions; and on top of that he was letting her go.  He had broken their engagement for her, he wasn’t even going to try and force her to come home.  Belle sat down on the cart, her legs dangling down from it and sobbed.

She hadn’t cried when everyone was whispering about what a shame it was that she couldn’t keep her fiancé from straying, she hadn’t cried when harsh gossip began to suggest it was somehow her fault that he had been found with a man.  She didn’t even cry when Gaston further humiliated her by barging into court and yelling all sorts of obscene things.  Now she was crying and all because someone had said _sorry_.

The golden knight silently handed her his handkerchief, respectfully not watching as she sobbed her eyes out.  Instead he turned and soothed his horse, who had become more than a little disturbed by the shouting and crying of the two humans in front of her.  Finally Belle dried her eyes, feeling so much lighter and better then she had in months.  With her outburst came a bit of clarity.  She had been jumping at shadows and suspicious of everyone for months and it had caused her to lash out.

Now that she looked back on all the things that had happened she could see that Rumple hadn’t really been flirting.  He had been being stiffly polite at best, and rather standoffish with Lady Cora at worse.  When he had met her he had been flirtatious, but nothing outrageous.  That only left the dreadful night of three days ago without an explanation.  But, Belle admitted to herself, he hadn’t sounded thrilled or even interested when he and Lady Cora were talking.

“Thank you.”  Belle whispered, biting her lower lip.

“For the handkerchief?  Think nothing of it, Princess.”  He said.

“No, for… for apologizing.”  She said.  “You didn’t have to, but you did, and that means a lot to me.”

Rumple looked at her sadly.  “I hurt you, through inaction if nothing else.  Of course I have to apologize.  I never want to hurt you.”  She nodded solemnly and he sighed.  “I need to return to the castle now.”  He took the reins of his horse, but instead of remount his steed he held them out to her.  “Here, take Llamrei, she’s strong and her saddle is charmed so you’ll be safe on the road and her packs are filled with food for a few days at least.”

She took the reins and then looked him.  “But how will you get back?  Your armour will weigh you down and we’re a two days ride from the castle at least.”

“Magic.”  He said with a twirl of his hand and a smile that died almost as soon as it began to tug at the corner of his lips.  “Goodbye, my Princess.”

Chewing her lower lip, Belle studied the horse he was offering her.  Taking a deep breath she turned back to him.

“Have you ever been to Arendelle?”  She managed to ask.

“Yes, of course.”  He said, his eyes suspiciously wet.

“Well, I haven’t, and I was wondering, if maybe you’d like to be my guide?”  Belle suggested weakly.

“I’d like that very much.”  Rumple replied, his voice choked as he smiled at her hopefully.


	6. Chapter 6

As the days went by the miles between Belle and her childhood home grew, and all the while the distance between her and Rumple shrank.  It was nice seeing the world with someone, she had never thought of it before, but now that she had someone with her Belle realized she would have been lonely if she traveled alone.  Rumple was a good guide, if not a little overprotective at times.  He followed her like a shadow, but instead of it being stifling it was reassuring.  She knew he didn’t doubt that she could take care of herself, but he still worried.  More than once he had caught her when she fell from somewhere high.

It helped that they traveled anonymously.  Rumple banished his armour in favour of leather and cotton, something Belle found rather enticing.  Not that she would ever tell him that.

There had still been some tension between them when they set out.  For the most part they were able to agree, but he found her too reckless and she thought he was too cautious.  Their first argument was not the only one, and more than once Belle had stormed off.  Either she would return and apologize for being childish, or he would hunt her down and ask for forgiveness.  The time between these events varied wildly from an hour to three days once.  That stalemate had come to an end when Belle had saved him from a rampaging monster that was really a cursed prince.

They’d shared their third kiss after she knew he was safe.

It had been two months since they’d set out and somehow they’d gotten lost on their way to Arendelle.  Neither had wanted to admit that it was their fault, and since it had been a mix of Belle reading the atlas wrong and Rumple mistaking one road for another, they were both to blame.  They’d gone their separate ways after having a rather childish argument that would have amused anyone if they hadn’t been alone in the woods.  As it was Rumple’s mare had a good whinny at their expense.  For the first day righteous anger had kept them apart, on the second day it was stubbornness and on the third day it was a monster.  They’d saved each other, first Belle saved him and then he saved her, and together they were able to free Philip from his curse.

Belle had always wanted to be a hero, and doing something had made her so giddy she had jumped into Rumple’s arms and kissed him.  This kiss was longer than their first two.  Both they had been soft brushes of lips, but this was filled with joy and desperation and not just a little hint of relief from the loneliness they’d been feeling while apart.  When they pulled away from each other Belle couldn’t help but feel an odd fluttering in her chest as she looked at him.  His hair was tousled from her hands and the excitement of the previous moment, his lips were wet and kiss swollen and his eyes were dark and soft.  She been about to kiss him again when the prince cleared his throat and they’d jumped apart as if they’d been burned.

They left Philip with a friend Belle had made in the local village, and then they set back out.

This time they knew which way they were going, and the journey was much smoother then it’s start.  The slept in inns or on the side of the road, but always in separate rooms or with a respectable distance between them around a low fire.  Belle wasn’t sure which was harder for her to cope with.  In the forest she could see him through the flames as he slept.  His face was smooth and relaxed; his lips, the lips she had rather liked kissing, slightly parted as he dreamed.  When they were in separate rooms her mind would wander to him.  Was he sleeping yet?  Or had he decided to take a bath?  Belle would feel her cheeks flush at the image of him dripping with water and unashamedly bare.

All of those images were entirely inappropriate for a princess to be thinking about her knight and protector.  But she defended her musings to her own mind by reminding herself that they had been engaged.  It was natural to wonder about a man she spent so much time with.  Especially when they had spent a long day of riding with him behind her, the hard plane of his chest pressed to her back and his breath in her ear.  How was she not supposed to wonder when he was so close to her?

Her shameful thoughts only grew worse as they traveled to Arendelle.  They needed to take a ship to the far off country.  It would be generous to say that the cabin they had to share was crowded.  If they were both in the room they had to do an awkward dance around each other, their chests pressed together as they moved around.  They’d told the captain they were a newly married couple, it was a ploy to get a bigger room, and in a way it had worked, but now they were stuck sleeping in the same bed.  On more than one morning Belle had woken up laying on his chest or his arms around her as he held her from behind.  When it had first happened they’d jump apart as if burned, but over the three months it became normal.  Belle had always thought sleeping beside someone would be awkward or stifling but she liked it.  With Rumple there she was always warm and safe on the cold seas.

Sleeping beside Rumple was more than pleasant, but they were both happy when the boat pulled into the harbour.  It felt as if Belle was finally able to stretch without worrying about hitting something or someone.

“Where would you like to go now, Belle?”  He asked as he stretched as well.  She smiled at the use of her name, it was too dangerous for him to call her princess on the road, but she still enjoyed the sound of it on his lips.

“I don’t know.  I didn’t plan that far.”  She admitted with a shrug.  “Where do you think we should go?”

He smiled in a way that stole her breath.  “I think there’s a place I could show you.”

Arendelle was a beautiful country and with Rumple as her guide she felt like it was even more so.  The first place he showed her took her breath away.  It was a library, a whole building simply filled with books of every imaginable topic.  There were more than Belle could read in a hundred life times.  Reverently she ran her fingers along the colourful spines, pulling one from the shelf, flipping through it and then handing it to Rumple to carry.  When she was sure she had a good selection she turned around, only to have to stifle a giggle at her poor knight’s expense.  She couldn’t see him over the pile of books she had placed into his arms, but he carried them dutifully without a word of complaint.

Her plan to make off with a good chunk of the library was thwarted when she was informed that she could only take two books out at a time.  But Belle got away with four thanks to Rumple claiming two of them were his.  She could have kissed him when he said that but she held herself back, she hadn’t kissed him in months, and she was sure he wouldn’t want that.  Their engagement was broken, and the last time they’d kissed was in the heat of a dangerous moment.  The reminder he was only indulging her soured her mood in a way that even books couldn’t help.

Every time she looked at him it reminded her of how poorly she had thought of him.  He wasn’t who she thought he was and she was so glad.  Rumple was so kind and sweet to her and she almost couldn’t stand it.  Looking at him made her heart feel like it was being compressed and expanding all at once, sometimes he would smile at her and she’d forget what she was thinking about.  More than once she’d caught herself staring instead of reading while they were sitting by the capital’s fountain.  Belle knew what was happening, she’d never been in love before but she would have to be a fool not to realize she was close to it.  Being in love was wonderful and terrifying and confusing; being close to falling was all those things and more.  She didn’t know what she should do, should she let herself fall?  Or hold back and protect her heart?

Lying in her bed that night, she came to a decision.  She needed some time by herself.  Belle had spent months with Rumple in all kinds of scenarios; through danger and success and cramped ship cabins they’d been together.  There was a chance that familiarity had just bred affection; the string that had connected with them spoke to a different truth, but she wasn’t going to allow magic to choose for herself.  She needed to _know_ beyond a shadow of a doubt how she felt.

In the morning she told Rumple she wanted to hike into the mountains for some fresh hair and a change of scenery.  He began to tell her about a valley he thought she would find interesting filled with old runes and mysteries and it almost hurt to stop him mid-sentence.

“I want to go alone.”  Belle said.

If she had slapped him it would have stunned him less, and Belle began to chew on her lower lip as he looked at her.

“Are you sure, Belle?  It might not be safe.”  Rumple took her hands in his, looking at her worriedly.

“I know,”  She said, forcing a smile.  “That’s what makes it an adventure.”

He nodded and then pulled an object out of thin air.  “Take this,”  Rumple said, holding out a beautiful golden necklace.  “If you need me you’ll just have to call my name and I’ll hear you.”

“Thank you, Rumple.”  Belle said with a smile as he put the chain around her neck.  She turned back to him and smiled at him brightly so he wouldn’t be anxious while she was gone.

“Be safe.”  Rumple murmured as he gently reached out and let the tips of his fingers glide down her arm.

Leaning up Belle pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and smiled again.  “Don’t worry; nothing bad will happen.”


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Belle realized while she traveled without Rumple was that she missed him.  Her heart yearned for him in a way that it never had for anything else before.  Even when she met a young Princess traveling to the same destination and joined her she still longed for Rumple.  Anna was good company and they became fast friends over the two days they traveled together.  Belle had wanted to see the Valley of the Trolls just to see it, but Anna needed their help.  The trolls had told Anna what she needed to know Belle decided to help her get home as fast as possible and they had raced their way down the mountain.  Everything had seemed to be going well but that hadn’t lasted for long.

Anna was dead.

Belle lay on the side of the cliff they had been traveling down, her hand reaching into thin air as tears filled her eyes.  She let out a sob and rolled away from the cliff, curling into a tight ball as she cried.  Anna had been suspicious of a woman that had claimed to be her aunt and was hoping the trolls could tell her if it was true.  It had sounded like an adventure to Belle.  One that would help distract her from her own swirling thoughts.  And maybe if she helped the princess with her problem an answer would come to her.  Now all of that was for naught.  A storm had whipped up just as they sidled along a sheer path etched into the side of the mountain.  The path was safe enough in normal weather, but beyond treacherous otherwise.  Nothing had been natural about the snow storm; clearly it was the work of Anna’s aunt.  The wind had all but grabbed Anna and pulled her off the cliff, leaving Belle to desperately try her best to reach for her new friend.  She had stretched as far as she could, almost falling off the path herself.  Belle’s hand had just barely missed Anna’s and she watched in horror as her friend fell.

She had failed, she had been so close to grabbing her and she hadn’t made it.

“Rumple,”  Belle cried as she cradled the necklace he had given her.  “ _Rumple_ , help me.”

He was there before she had even finished speaking.  Belle felt his arms wrap around her, strong and reassuring and everything she needed.  She clung to him as he ran his hands along her body, his voice panicked as he searched for some kind of injury.  He wouldn’t find one, she was fine, she was safe, but Anna wasn’t.

“Belle, please,”  Rumple begged, worry making his voice high.  “Tell me what’s wrong; I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I failed her.”  Belle said.  “I failed Anna and she’s gone.”

“Who, Belle, who?”  He asked, trying to lower his voice so it was more soothing instead of panicked.

“Anna, my new friend.”  Belle repeated pointing over the cliff.  “She f-fell; I couldn’t reach her in time.”  Her voice broke and she began to cry harder.

His lips thinned and he carefully removed her from his arms.  Rumple tucked her against the side of the mountain to keep her safe and pulled a white cotton handkerchief from thin air.  Gently he dabbed at her cheeks and then handed her the cloth.  He kissed her forehead and pushed a strand of her hair out of her face; then he stood with a grim look.

“Don’t move.  I’m going to be right back.”  Rumple said.

Belle nodded, her face blotchy and red from her tears.  She was confused and scared as he looked over the side of the cliff and her heart almost stopped when he kneeled and began to climb his way down.

“No, don’t I can’t lose you!”  Belle said jerking forward to grab him.

“I’ll be fine Belle, I’m using magic.”  He said, raising his hand to keep her from getting closer as he hung off the side of the mountain.  “I’m going to go and see if there’s anything that can be done for your friend, the fall might not have…”  Rumple trailed off and Belle nodded jerkily.

They both knew the chances of that were very low, but his words made her hope.  Belle sat for a long moment, trembling as she waited for Rumple to return.  Two short days ago she had been with him in the capital, happy and safe.  Honestly she wished she’d stayed there with Rumple.  Her time away from him had done nothing for her confusion and had only made her ache with loneliness for him.  That’s why she and Anna had been on such a dangerous path, both of them had been in a hurry to return, but Belle had been the one to suggest such a risky route.  Closing her eyes she pressed her forehead to the tops of her knees.  Her foolishness had led to Anna’s death.  If Belle had just stayed with Rumple then Anna would be safe still and on her way to warn her sister of the danger their aunt posed.

The sound of rustling made her look up and she let out a relieved sigh.  “You’re okay.”

“I am, but Belle, are you sure your friend fell?”  He asked as he pulled himself up and kneeled beside her.  His hand reached out to gently brush her hair out of her face, the wind kept throwing it into her face.

“Yes, I-I couldn’t reach her.”  Belle said, more tears beginning to fill her eyes again.  “I failed her.”

“No, no, Belle you did your best, I know you did.  I’m just sorry I wasn’t here.”  Rumple said, carefully he wrapped his arm around her and she tucked herself under his chin.

“You should have been with us; I shouldn’t have asked you to stay behind.  I’ve missed you so much and now everything’s gone wrong because I couldn’t just admit I love you.”  She whimpered.

Rumple made a strangled noise at her words but cleared his throat and pushed away what she had unknowingly said.  They could deal with that later.

“Belle, please, listen to me, your friend – Anna was it? – she wasn’t down there, and the air was thick with magic.”  He told her, tilting her jaw so she was looking into his eyes.

“W-what?”  Belle asked.  “What does that mean?”

“It means she never hit the ground.”  He said gently.  “Someone whisked her away.”

“Then she’s alive!”  She gasped, grabbing the lapels of his shirt.  More tears sprung to Belle’s eyes, but this time they were from relieved joy.  “It must have been the trolls!  They said they would watch out for us.”

“There was no malic in the spell, I think you’re right.”  Rumple said.  He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled.  “I’m so relieved you won’t have to carry the burden of feeling like you failed someone.”  He added, almost so softly she didn’t hear him.

His words confused her.  She thought on them the entire time they traveled down the mountain.  And continued to think about them as she and Rumple made their way to the castle to make sure Anna really had survived.  The words haunted her even more so as she introduced her new friend to Rumple and his eyes had turned sad and preoccupied.  That night she couldn’t sleep; she lay in her bed in the inn and remembered his words from their ride so many months ago.  There was a hurt in Rumple’s past, a regret that still needled at him.  It wasn’t her place to ask, but he was hurting and all she wanted was to comfort him as best she could.

Biting her lower lip she slipped from her bed and wrapped herself in a thick gold coloured shawl.  Her heart raced as she quietly left her room and walked the short distance from her room to his.  Going to a man’s room in the middle of the night was rather scandalous, but after having slept in the same bed as Rumple Belle doubted this would do anymore damage to her reputation.  Softly she knocked on his door, stepping from foot to foot as she waited from to answer.  When a few silent moments went by without a reply Belle let out a sigh.  It was foolish to think he would be awake just because she was, and if he were sleeping she didn’t want to wake him.  At least someone needed to get some sleep.  Just as she was about to leave the door creaked open slightly and Rumple peeked out, when he saw her he opened the door wider.

“Belle, what’s wrong?”  He asked worriedly.

For a moment words abandoned her as she looked at him.  Rumple was in nothing but a sleeping shirt that was open down to the middle of his chest.  The string that kept it closed was missing she couldn’t help but stare at the large patch of tan skin on display. Her eyes drifted down, realizing he wasn’t wearing sleeping pants and his feet were bare as well.  She had never seen him with so little on before.  On the ship he had worn long johns a sleeping shirt laced up and pants with socks.  Belle had wondered if he was cold, but now she realized that he had been trying to preserve her modestly.  Her mouth went dry as she looked at him and her cheeks began to heat.

“Belle?”  Rumple repeated, his hand reaching out to grasp her shoulder.  “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”  She replied, his touch shocking her out of her daze.  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just…”

She licked her lips, suddenly unsure of herself.  When she had been alone in her room slowly being driven mad with curiosity this had seemed like a good idea.  Now faced with a Rumple who was so close to nakedness she wasn’t as sure.

“Anything you need, Belle, I am your loyal servant.”  He told her earnestly.

“Today, on the mountain, you said you were happy I wouldn’t have to carry the weight of having failed someone I cared for, and when we rode together you mentioned not being in time to save someone.  What did you mean?”  Belle asked.

It was best to just get it out of her mind.  If he didn’t want to talk of it he could send her back to her room.  He lowered his head, his eyes shadowed by his hair, his lips were had thinned with a deep grimace.  The look made Belle wish she wasn’t so bull headed and reckless.  She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, she wanted to comfort him, but instead she had ended up causing him more pain by dredging up old wounds.  Silently Belle cursed herself for the unintentional cruelty.  Just as she was about to apologize and return to her room he looked back up at her.

“I’ll tell you, but not in the hall where anyone can see you, please, come in.”

He opened his door wider and gestured for her to come in.  Belle took a step forward and then froze when she saw his bed.  Of course he would have one in his room, she wasn’t foolish enough to think he was sleeping on the floor, but it hadn’t crossed her mind.  Taking a deep breath she walked in anyway, she had shared a bed with this man, it didn’t matter if they were alone with one and he was almost naked.  Belle had begun this and now she needed to be brave.

Perhaps if she acted brave bravery would follow.


	8. Chapter 8

Belle realized too late that there was only one chair in Rumple’s room as she sat down.  She fiddled with her shawl as he ducked behind a privacy screen; there was some rustling and when he came back out he was wearing pants under his loose shirt.  He stood in the middle of the room awkwardly for a moment before sitting on the bed.  Belle licked her lips as she watched him rub his fingers together contemplatively.  As they continued to sit in silence she began to feel ridiculous for marching up to his door and demanding he tell her about his past.  It wasn’t her place to ask and clearly this wasn’t something he enjoyed.  Just as she was about to stand and apologize he spoke.

“It happened right after I had discovered my magic.”  Rumple began, he looked at her and then away, his eyes clouded with memory.  His smile was humourless.  “I was young and cocky back then, I thought I was unbeatable.”

“A lot of knights feel that way.”  Belle said, trying to reassure him.

“Yes, you’re right, but…”  He trailed off and ran his hand through his hair.  “It cost me my son.”  Rumple finally said, his voice breaking.

At his words Belle’s eyes widened and before she knew what she was doing she was standing and sitting beside him.  She leaned against his side to give him silent comfort as he tried to compose himself; her hand rested on his knee to comfort him and she smiled up at him.

“You had a son?”  Belle asked.  She didn’t want to push him, but no one ever talked about the Light One having a family, certainly he couldn’t have a wife or else he never would been engaged to her.

Rumple nodded and took a shuddering breath.  “Baelfire, my boy.”

“He sounds wonderful.”  She whispered.

“He was.”  Rumple whimpered.  “His mother and I never got a long even after I was knighted and given my lordship, but we both loved him.  Bae was the best thing that had come from either of us.”

“W-what,”  Belle’s voice broke and she cleared her throat to get the dreaded question out.  “What happened to them?”

It took a while, but Rumple was able to tell her the whole tragic tale in halting snippets that tore at her the core of her being.  At the end Belle held him in her arms as he wept.  She blinked back her own tears; his pain pierced her heart as if it was her own.  Belle ran her hands through his hair as he cried; she massaged his scalp and pressed gentle kisses to his temple to try and sooth him.  He had lost his family in one brutal and swift attack by the ogres; even with all his power he couldn’t save them.  Rumple had been forced to watch his humble home be smashed to dust with his family inside.

“I was too late.”  He whispered, the words coming out in a shuddering breath against her neck.  “I couldn’t reach them.”

“You tried,”  Belle cooed.  “You did everything could.”

“I failed.”  Rumple sobbed.  “All this magic and I couldn’t – I couldn’t _do_ anything.”

Belle didn’t know what to say to him.  From Rumple’s story it was clear to her that he couldn’t have done more, but what could she say to make him believe it?  He had carried this pain and guilt with him for years, nothing she said could make him feel better.  This wasn’t the kind of pain that words could heal.  Belle kissed forehead again, trying to impart any and all comfort she could to him.  Soon his shoulders stopped shaking and she pulled him further onto the bed to lie down.  She pressed herself to his side and wrapped her arms around him, encouraging him to hold her in return.  His breathing evened out and Belle let her mind wander as he slept.  There was so much more to her knight then she had ever known; she’d been so foolish when they’d met.  Belle had assumed he was shallow and frivolous, but there were so many layers to him it would be easy to get lost in them.

She wanted to get lost.

The realization took her by surprise, but really it shouldn’t have.  Belle had already been grappling with if she was in love with him.  Why was it surprising that she wanted to spend forever with him?  Belle carded her fingers through his hair as he slept beside her; he looked so much younger and calmer in sleep.  His demons couldn’t follow him there and Belle wanted to be able to do that for him too.  She wanted to spend the rest of her life by his side having adventures and easing any of his pains or ills and have hers soothed by him in return.  But she’d thrown away the chance to have all of that with him as anything more than a traveling companion.  A sense of melancholy settled over her as she realized that.  Belle pushed the feeling away, she had made her bed and now she would lie in it.  Tonight wasn’t about her pain or worries, it was about his and she would be there for him even while he was asleep.

“Hey.”  Rumple said, taking her by surprise.  She hadn’t realized his eyes were open.

“Hey.”  She whispered.  “How do you feel?”

“I feel lighter now.”  He murmured.

“I’m glad.”  Belle replied with a soft smile.

He smiled in return and brushed the tips of his fingers along her cheek.

“I’ve tried so hard not to think of Bae, but now that I have I’m remembering all the good times we had.”

“Tell me about him?”  Belle asked as she stroked her hand along his side.  The way they were holding each other was more intimate than ever before, but to Belle it felt like it was meant to be.

Rumple’s smile grew at her words and launched into a fond memory of his son learning to spin for the first time.  That story was followed by another and another until Belle’s sides hurt from laughing.  Their foreheads were pressed together as they caught their breath and the giggling they’d shared subsided.  In the following silence Belle ran her hand through his hair, enjoying the feeling of his soft locks between her fingers.  He closed his eyes and let out a hum of pleasure.

“Thank you, Belle.”  Rumple said after a long moment of peaceful silence.

“Anytime.”  Belle smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.  “You’re not who I thought you were at first, and I’m so glad.”

“We’ve come a long way together, haven’t we?”  He said, his smile a little bittersweet.

Belle nodded and then blushed, realizing that they were still wrapped around each other in his bed.  “I think I should go back to my room.”  She began to pull away until he stopped her, his hand on her arm.

“Stay with me?  Please?”  Rumple asked, his voice soft and broken around the edges.  “You don’t have to of course.”  He let go of her, his fingers of the hand that had touched her began to rub together nervously.

“Okay,”  She said rather pleased that he had asked.

She slipped back under the covers and dithered for a moment before pressing herself back against his side.  Hesitantly he wrapped his arm around her waist and she let out a pleased sigh as she tucked herself under his chin.  Belle felt safe when she was with Rumple.  Safer and more at peace then she had in years, there was only one thing missing.  She missed her parents.  Hearing Rumple speak so fondly of his son had reminded her of how much her mother and father would be missing her.  She’d left with barely a note and since then had sent them a handful of letters through Rumple’s magic.  Adventuring had been fun, even more then she could have ever imagined, but now she was missing her home.

“What are you thinking about?”  Rumple asked as he ran his hand along her back.

“Home, my parents.”  Belle sighed.  “I miss them.”

“Do you want to send them another letter?”  He suggested.

“No, I-I think I want to go home.”  She admitted.

“Your parents will be happy to hear that.”  He said.  “I’ll make sure to get you home safely and then we’ll go our separate ways.”

“O-oh.”  Belle bit her lower lip and closed her eyes.  Of course he wasn’t going to stay once they returned to the castle, why would he?  There was nothing there for him there.  “Of course, yes”

“Unless you’d want me to stay?”  Rumple asked softly.

It was a kind offer, but Belle could tell it was just that.  Rumple wouldn’t want to really stay with her.  It would be better to let him go; he would be happier without a silly wilful Princess dogging his every step and causing him nothing but trouble.

“No,”  Belle told him, this would be for the best for her knight.  “I don’t want you to stay.”


	9. Chapter 9

When Belle woke up she couldn’t remember why she’d been upset when she’d gone to bed.  In that moment between waking and dreaming she was warm and comfortable with Rumple’s breath ghosting over her neck she was content.

Then she remembered.

Soon she and Rumple would be going their separate ways, and in a way it was all her fault.  Rumple had made it clear that he wanted to leave her, but even so he had offered to stay.  It was so tempting for Belle to beg him to stay with her, she couldn’t imagine not seeing him every day, but the opposite was even worse.  She wouldn’t be able to survive if he stayed and she couldn’t be with him.  To be so close and yet so far would rip her heart to shreds.  Even worse, how could she stand it when he eventually began courting someone else?  And he would, Rumple was so sweet and charming with his boyish smile and earnestness.

Any woman would be a fool not to want him.  Belle closed her eyes and gritted her teeth to keep from crying.  She was that fool.  From almost the start she had known he was her true love, and she’d thrown that away out of pride and fear.  Belle always wanted to be brave, but it seemed fear would manage to control her in life when it came to the important things.  And how could she ever marry to produce an heir now?  She’d never want to kiss another man or wake up in the morning with their arm around her.  How could she when she knew what it was like to kiss her knight and to sleep in his arms?

It was so tempting to change her mind.  Rumple had offered to stay, she could tell him she was tired the night before and wasn’t thinking straight; of course she wanted him to stay with her.  She wanted him to stay forever; it would be the truest thing she ever said.  But that wouldn’t fix the problem of not being able to be with him.  He had broken their engagement for her, and even after they had gotten close he hadn’t asked for her hand again.  It was clear he’d meant what he’d said on the road all those months ago, she really was nothing but an insufferable princess.  No doubt her coldness had killed any romantic feelings he might have had for her.  Rumple still cared for her, she could tell, but now it seemed it was strictly platonic.  Belle couldn’t blame him either, she hadn’t made it easy on him to even like her, let alone love her.  No doubt when she’d said he didn’t have to stay he was relieved.

In his sleep Rumple shifted, breaking her from her thoughts.  His arm tightened it’s hold around her middle as he pulled her closer, his nose nuzzling behind her ear.  Belle’s cheeks began to burn as she felt the solid planes of his chest pressed up against her back with only two pieces of thin cotton in the way.  The feel of him stole her breath and her stomach fluttered oddly when something hot and rigid pressed against the back of her thigh.  Belle had a feeling she knew what it was, she had read enough to know, but it was still a surprising thrill to feel it.  She and Rumple had shared a cabin for three months and they’d never been this close with so little between them.  In fact on their trip Rumple continually would roll out of bed onto the floor in the night until she changed places with him so he slept against the wall.  Only now Belle began to realize that he hadn’t been rolling in his sleep, but was in fact trying to spare her maidenly sensibilities by sleeping on the floor without letting her know.

He shifted again and she bit back a soft gasp as he did so.  By now her whole face felt as if it were on fire, and all she wanted to do was slink out of bed and back to her room to hide, or to turn and kiss him senseless.  Considering she had just been lamenting he wasn’t in love with her and given that he was asleep, Belle decided it was best to get out of bed.  It was easier said than done, removing herself from the bed and his arms without waking him up.  With every move she made he’d sigh or groan and the mere idea of why that might be made her whole body feel hot.  Somehow, totally beyond her understanding, she ended up twisted around and facing him.

Her face was level with his open shirt and she couldn’t help but want to lean forward and kiss him.  The first stirrings of her repressed lust were cut short when her eye caught a flash of red.  Belle blinked, trying to clear her eyes of any early morning blurriness, but she soon realized that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.  With a shaking hand Belle reached out and gently brushed his shirt open a little more.  Belle gasped when the red twined thread was bared to her gaze.  It was the string she had used to try and prove they weren’t meant for each other.  Last she’d seen it the thread had been seemingly miles long and trampled underfoot; but here it was, clean and carefully braided into a thick necklace that Rumple was wearing.

“I see you’ve found my secret.”  Rumple said, taking Belle by surprise as she snatched her hand back.

In a flash Belle was out of bed and wrapping on the blankets tightly around herself.  Belle looked away from him bashfully; it was too easy to let her eyes wander along his body and take in the sight of his tousled hair and rumpled clothes.

“I’m, ah, sorry.”  Belle said, and then she looked back at him shyly.  “You kept it, my thread.”

“I did.”  Rumple admitted his gaze holding hers.

“Why?”  She asked as her heart began to race with fragile hope.

Rumple looked down and pulled the braided necklace from under his shirt.  He smiled at it softly and rolled it between his fingers.  “It makes me feel connected to you.”

“Oh.”  Belle whispered.

“Yeah,”  He replied simply.

“B-but, why would you want that?”  She said weakly.  “I thought you didn’t want to stay.”

“You said you didn’t want me to.”  He reminded her.

“Yes, I know.”  Belle said biting her lower lip.  “But that’s because why would you want to stay with me?  You said you’d leave before offering to stay.  And it’s okay, Rumple, you don’t have to pretend to want to be with me.”

Rumple stood and walked over to her, gently taking her hands in his.  “Belle, why would I ever _not_ want to be with you?”

Belle didn’t know what to say, her words were caught in her throat and refused to budge.  Was it possible she had completely misunderstood everything?  Could she be with Rumple if she just took the risk?  Belle bit her lower lip as her mind raced.  She needed to be brave, she had to take a leap and hope he would be there to catch her.  Fear was racing through her making her hands shake, but she squeezed them into fists and took a deep breath.  Belle would be brave and hope that bravery followed, it always had before.

“Rumple I love–”  Belle was cut off by an insistent tapping at the window.  Rumple was going to ignore it, but the pause had made Belle lose her nerve.  “You should see what it is.”

He nodded but dithered for a moment longer before going to open the window.  A rather perturbed carrier pigeon was waiting there, a message tied to it’s leg.  Belle couldn’t help but smile as Rumple gently cooed to the cranky bird and softly ran the tips of his fingers along it’s feathers.  Everything he did was sweet, how could she have ever thought differently?  His ministrations convinced the pigeon to give up it’s cargo and after one last pat to it’s head by Rumple it flew away.  He unrolled the scroll and Belle worried her lower lip nervously; it would have taken minor magic to send a bird with a message to a person instead of a place.  Whatever was written on that paper had to be important.  It could be her parents, but usually they waited to reply to her letters rather then send their own; if it was them it wouldn’t be a social letter.  The deep crease between Rumple’s brows wasn’t helping her anxiety.

Finally he looked up at her, his eyes haunted.  “We need to leave right now.”

“Why?  What’s wrong?”  Belle asked, her stomach plummeting.

“It’s word from the King, your father.”  Rumple crumpled the letter in a tight fist.  “The ogres have returned.”


	10. Chapter 10

In a matter of seconds magic traversed the miles that had taken Belle and Rumple months to travel by horseback and by sea.  Belle knew it was something Rumple’s magic was capable of, she’d even seen it before, but it still felt odd to suddenly be standing in the courtroom of her childhood home.  He’d whisked them away without another word in a cloud of golden smoke after he’d told her what the letter had said, and she was glad to note that his magic had also dressed them as they traveled.  Showing up in front of her parents and the court in nothing but her sleepwear while Rumple was just as bare would have caused a scandal the likes of which would have never died.

Her mind didn’t linger on that thought too long, instead it was quickly pushed away by the all too present threat the ogres now represented.  She and Rumple’s appearance had quieted the loud and fearful discussion that had been taking part in the room.  And soon Belle found herself being pulled into her mother’s arms followed soon by her father’s.  Everything after that happened so fast it made Belle’s head spin.  The generals and Rumple left with her Papa.  Meanwhile her mother ushered her away to another room where plans to accommodate the hordes of refugees that would soon be upon them were being hatched.

A week later Belle found herself lying in bed completely exhausted.  Traveling had been hard, but it paled in comparison to her duties as a princess, she had almost forgotten how much was demanded of her.  In war times those demands were doubled, but she didn’t mind as much.  Her people needed her; this was the one part of being a princess she didn’t hate.  The power she had meant that she could protect the common folk.  What else was a princess for if not serving in any way she could?  However, her dedication didn’t stop her from missing seeing more of the world.

Belle’s wanderlust had been sated and whetted at the same time.  She now knew her perfect future would be spending her days protecting her people and then during times of peace seeing more of the world.  And she wanted Rumple by her side for all of it.

Rolling to her side Belle looked out her window and contemplated what Rumple had said before they’d been interrupted.  She had thought he’d only offered to stay to be polite, but it seemed she had greatly misunderstood him and his intentions.  Rumple had talked as if he’d wanted to be by her side the way she wanted to be by his.  If he didn’t want to say he wouldn’t have said those kinds of things.  Rumple wasn’t a man of easy words and false promises.  He said what he meant and meant what he said.  Belle worried her lower lip as she considered everything they’d been through.  There were more ways to tell someone you cared for them then to simply say the words out loud.  Belle had thought he didn’t feel the same way she did because he hadn’t said anything; but looking back she hadn’t either and he had been nothing but wonderful to her.  If actions spoke louder than words, as some people said, then Rumple was screaming he cared for her.  A hopeful voice added in a soft whisper that he might even love her.

That thought led her back to her own failed confession.  Surely he must have known what she was going to say.  But even if he did there had been no time for them to speak again.

Rumple was at the front most days, miles away fighting to keep them all safe, tonight was the first time he had been able to return and stay for longer than a moment.  They’d managed to get a wall up aided with magic and he had come to tell the king in person the statues of the soldiers.  He had intended on leaving again as soon as he was done delivering the news, but he had been persuaded to rest for the night in a soft bed.  Her Mama insisted he would be no use to anyone if he fell asleep in battle, and Belle couldn’t help but agree.  She knew he must have been even more tired than he looked, because after a few weak protests he had given in and gone straight to the chambers that had been his while they were engaged.  That had been at noon, and now it was well past summer’s sunset.

Belle sat up and slipped out of her bed.  Tonight would be the kind of night where she couldn’t sleep until she had gone for a walk.  Her mind was too heavy with worry to read and unlike most nights she already knew where she wanted to end up.  She didn’t intend to wake Rumple up, he needed his rest, but she wanted to check on him all the same.  Belle had gotten used to spending all her time near Rumple, not seeing him properly for even just a week left her feeling a bit out of sorts.  She kept turning to share something with him, only to find he wasn’t there.  The sensation of surprise would be followed by one of worry.  While she was safe behind the walls of the castle taking care of refugees he was out fighting for their lives.

Luckily Belle didn’t meet anyone on her way to Rumple’s room.  It would be hard enough to explain what she was doing out of bed and wandering the halls in her chemise, let alone heading to the room of a man.  Never mind that she’d just spent months alone with him; her parents hadn’t told anyone about that part of her journey.  Everyone was left to assume she’d been alone and Rumple was only sent to fetch her when the war broke out.

She paused at his door once she made it there, all her insecurities clambering to the forefront of her mind.  She shook her head and squared her shoulders.  Fear had ruled her for too long, now she was going to actually be brave.  There was nothing to fear beyond that door, no terrible monster waiting to gobble her up.  The scariest thing about opening that door would be the unknown and Belle wasn’t going to let that stop her.

Reaching out she grabbed the handle of his door, and then stopped again.  It would be rude to simply barge in on him.  It was the middle of the night and he had been asleep for hours, who knew what kind of state he’d be in.  Her cheeks heated as she remembered the tantalizing skin she had seen at the inn and the hard bulge that had pressed against her.  She should at least give the man some privacy.  Instead of simply charging in Belle gently knocked on his door.  She stood there for a long moment, feeling utterly foolish.  Waking him up would be counterproductive to making sure he was okay, but walking in on him would be rude.  Belle decided to knock one more time, and if he didn’t answer she’d return to her room.  Maybe if she was up early enough she could catch him before he left.  Her second knock was met with muffled shuffling and the sound of a sleepy voice calling for her to enter.

With a blush staining her cheeks she opened the door and slipped in, closing the door behind her.  Rumple was fighting with his sleeping shirt, trying to get it over his head.  Belle stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she realized that he wasn’t taking it off, instead he was putting it on.  Rumple slept in the nude.  Her stomach flipped at the thought and a warm pules went through her body.  Now all the layers he had worn when they’d shared a bed on the ship took on a new meaning.  She’d always known he was a gentleman – once she’d been able to see past her own prejudice that was – but now it was even more obvious than before that he had been preserving her modesty, and making himself uncomfortable while he did so.  If she hadn’t been in love with him before, discovering this would have surely done it.

Once he was done fighting with his shirt he blinked blearily at her, and then began to blush.  Even in the low lighting she could see it.

“Oh, Belle – Princess – I thought you were a maid come to wake me for breakfast.”  He said self-consciously as he fiddled with his blankets to make sure he was covered.

“I’m sorry,”  Belle replied, ducking her head shyly even as she walked towards him.  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.  I missed you.”  She added, the last part almost whispered.

“I missed you too.”  Rumple said, his eyes softening.

He reached out to her and she went eagerly, falling into his arms and bed as if they’d done it a thousand times before.  She curled herself against his side as he ran his hand along her back, her hand resting on his chest over his steadily beating heart.  The feeling soothed her and she allowed herself to relax.  Worry for Rumple was never too far from her mind and she hadn’t realized how tense it was making her until she could feel him safe and whole beside her.  Belle felt him press a kiss to her temple, and in return she pressed one to his jaw.

In the dark he looked down at her and she looked up at him.  His eyes were filled with mysteries she wanted to spend her whole life uncovering.  She hoped she got the chance.

“I want you to stay.”  She told him in a hushed tone.

“Good, because I want to stay.”  He replied just as quietly.  Then without preamble,  “I love you.”  Rumple added in a hoarse whisper.

Belle felt herself smile so broadly her cheeks ached from it.  Hearing him say the words was far better than she had ever expected them to be.  It felt as if her heart would burst from all the happiness and love that was filling it.

“I love you too!”  Belle said.

Rumple kissed her at that and she kissed him back just as eagerly.  Those simple words had been haunting her for weeks, if not months, and now they were out as simply as breathing.  It was freeing.

In the morning Belle awoke feeling sated and pleasantly sore as she stretched.  She sighed and soaked in the feeling of the soft sheets against her bare skin.  It felt strange but good.  More than that though she enjoyed the comforting heat that was Rumple as he dozed beside her.  Belle pressed herself to him, humming contentedly as his arm wrapped itself more snugly around her in his sleep.  Her eyes began to grow heavy once more as she lay in her lover’s arms.  It wasn’t surprising that she’d be tired considered what she and Rumple had done the night before, and how many times they had done it.  She smiled and blushed at the memory.  Perhaps she would sleep a little longer and then wake up Rumple up for a repeat of the night before.

They still had a few hours until reality and responsibility demanded their attentions again, and Belle wanted to make the most of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Too soon Rumple had to leave for the front again.  Belle knew it was selfish, but she wished they could just shut out the rest of the world.  They could spend lazy days in his bed talking about all the feelings they’d been too afraid to give voice to before in between bouts of love making.  In a perfect world they could spend as much time as they wanted like that, but Belle knew Rumple was their best chance at beating the ogres back.  That truth didn’t help lessen the sting when she said goodbye to him.  They parted with one last kiss, her hand slipping inside of his jerkin to brush the string that had first connected them.  He made his promises that he’d return as soon as he could, and that when he did the war would be over.  Then he was gone.

Belle wrapped her arms around herself at the gates of the castle as the heat from his body pressed against hers began to disappear.  She didn’t even have the opportunity to stare after him as he rode away; instead he had whisked himself away in a cloud of golden smoke.  Letting out a sigh she turned back to the castle; she wasn’t getting anything done just standing there and everyone needed to do their part.  In the courtyard of the castle they had set up tents and beds for the people that had lost their home.  There were so many of them that they had begun to spill into the garden, and most of the castle’s staff were at their wits end.  As a princess Belle had never been taught practical skills like cooking or healing.  But she did what she could by handing out supplies and sitting with the sick.

The waves of fleeing refugees needed to be fed and clothed and in some cases they needed help finding missing family members.  More than once Belle ended up with a little child on her hip, tears streaking their pudgy cheeks as she looked for their parents

Some of the stories Belle heard as she worked among the refugees made her stomach sink with worry.  It wasn’t just fear for Rumple, although her fear for him couldn’t be ignored, but for the other soldiers and knights that were risking their lives as well.  Rumple had magic, but that could only do so much to protect him.  If he didn’t see an attack coming then he would be just like any other man.  Belle tried not to think about all the horrible things that could happen to the man she loved.  If she did then she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning.  Instead she redoubled her efforts to hand out supplies as more and more people fled to the safety of the castle walls.

“Excuse me, your Majesty.”  A soft voice called, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Belle turned and smiled softly at the boy standing in front of her.  If she had to guess she’d say he was about thirteen or fourteen with shaggy brown hair and eyes that were oddly familiar.  His clothes had seen better days and his face was smudged with soot and dirt.  Belle made a mental note to find him something better to ware and to make sure he got a bath, or at least a damp rag to clean himself with.

“What can I do for you, young man?”  Belle asked sweetly.

The boy shifted and ducked his head shyly as she looked at him and then looked up and gestured to the little girl’s hand he was holding.  “They said that the princess could help find her parents.”

“Oh course I’ll help”  Belle said.  She kneeled down so she was at eye level with the little girl and smiled as kindly as she could.  “Hello, what’s your name?”

After an hour of looking the little girl was reunited with her parents and Belle was happy to see the family made whole.  The sight made Belle’s heart ache; someday, if fate was kind, she could have that with Rumple.  They hadn’t had time to discuss the future or marriage, but she hoped that their new understanding would lead to them spending forever together.  Rumple had said he wanted to stay with her after all.  She wasn’t the kind of person to trap Rumple into marriage because of the night they had spent together.  But Belle knew that he was the kind of man that would ask to marry her even if they weren’t true love.  The reminder of what they shared eased the pain she was feeling at being separated from him.  He would return and they would be together.  Until then she had a job to take care of.

Turning back to the boy that had brought the little girl to her attention she smiled.

“Do you need help finding your family?”  Belle asked.

He shrugged and ducked his head.  “I’ve no family to find, your Majesty.”

“Oh,”  She replied softly.

That explained his unkempt appearance and ragged clothing.  There was no one looking out for him.  Now that she took a closer look at him she realized he was rather thin under the dirt covering his face.  He looked up at her were soulful brown eyes and she felt her heart clench.  No child should have to suffer the way he clearly had.  Even before the horrors of the ogre wars he had been alone and no doubt scared.  Not to mention he would have had to deal with the very real and pressing issue of hunger and shelter.  Yet despite all he had been through he was still kind enough to take the hand of a poor lost child and bring her to someone that could find her family.  His hardships hadn’t made him cruel or harsh; instead somehow kindness had endured in his heart.  Perhaps it was silly of her, considered she had just met him, but she wanted to take care of him.  Even if it was just making sure he got a good meal and a bath.

“Thank you for your help, Princess.”  He said, breaking Belle from her thoughts.  The boy bowed and made to leave.

“Wait,”  Belle requested.  “Since you don’t have anyone, why don’t you let me help you?”  She asked with a kind smile.

“I couldn’t ask anything of you, your Majesty.”  He replied timidly.  “I’ve already taken up too much of your time.”

“Nonsense, what is a Princess good for if she can’t take care of her people?”  Belle said briskly.  “We’ll get you all cleaned up and then some food in your belly.”

Once Belle set her mind to something there was no arguing with her, and the poor boy was soon swept away from courtyard and into the castle.  There were a few maids that weren’t busy and she recruited them to draw a fresh bath and find him some clothes that no one would miss.  While her guest bathed she went down to the kitchens to find him something that would be rich enough to nourish him, but not so much that it would make him sick.  The kitchens were busy cooking foods that could feed a large group of people, stews and full pig roasts.  It was easy for Belle to grab some wonderfully smelling fresh bread and a bowl of hot broth with vegetables and chunks of hearty meat.

As she returned to the upper floors of the castle with tray in hand she frowned and bit her tongue as she passed Lady Cora.  She hadn’t told her parents what she had tried, but now Belle was beginning to wish she had.  Every time they crossed paths the woman would give her a knowing smirk that set Belle’s teeth on edge.

“It must be trying times when the Princess has to fetch and carry like a common maid.”  Cora simpered.

“We all must make sacrifices in this time of need.”  Belle replied with a tight smile.  “I’m doing my part; what good are we nobles if we can’t protect our people?”

Her eyes narrowed at Belle’s word, a sneer pulling at her lips.  “Well, that might be the case, but no noble man will want a woman that will _service_ just anyone.”

“Then perhaps it’s for the best that Lord Rumplestiltskin and I have agreed to wed.  And he already knows I’m fully capable of _servicing_ him.”  She said, her smile turning sly.

Two spots of red appeared on Cora’s cheeks as she clenched her fists in anger, but Belle didn’t bother staying to hear her retort.  Instead she brushed past her with her chin held high and a satisfied smile pulling at her lips.  This wasn’t the end of her strange skirmish with Lady Cora, but for now she felt as if she’d managed to win this round.  Soon she’d have to deal with Cora fully.  That woman couldn’t be allowed to stay in the castle to cause more trouble, but for now she had someone that needed her attention more then Cora.

Belle found her spur-of-the-moment ward waiting for her in a warm sunlit drawing room where she set the food she’d brought in front of him. Even the mere idea of a princess serving a peasant was something that would make any of the women at court faint from shock and then set their tongues wagging.  No doubt Lady Cora would be the worst of them all.  But Belle didn’t care what they would think.  Especially when the boy fell on the food she brought him like he hadn’t seen a proper meal in weeks.  The troubling part was that Belle knew it was entirely possible that it was true.  She pushed the thought and focused on the here and now.

The clothes that had been found for him were too large for his thin frame, but they were clean and would be warmer than the rags he’d been in before.  His hair was still dripping from his bath and now that his face was clean she couldn’t shake that he looked even more familiar than before.  It was the colour of his eyes and the tilt of his lips when he smiled at her.  Something was pulling at the back of her mind, but every time she reached out to take hold of it, it turned into mist and slipped between her fingers. There was a possibility he was the bastard of one of the nobles that served her father, but at the same time that didn’t make sense.  It would be foolish to believe that none of the lords or knights had dallied and produced a child out of wedlock.  But in most cases that child would be taken care of in some way.  This boy seemed healthy enough; it was odd that he hadn’t been recruited for a trade yet.

Too late Belle realized she was staring at him intently when he looked up at her and then ducked his head nervously.  The action added to the feeling of familiarity, but she still couldn’t tell where she’d seen it before.

“Have I displeased you, your Majesty?”  He asked weakly.

“Oh, no, not at all.  I just realized I’ve been terribly rude.  I haven’t asked your name.”  She said with a gently smile.  The poor child was skittish; she didn’t need him thinking she was mad at him.

“I’m Baelfire, your Majesty.”  He replied with a shy smile.

Belle tilted her head to the side as her heart clenched.  “Baelfire?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”  Baelfire said, running his spoon along the bottom of his bowl.

“That’s a wonderful name.”  She replied with a smile that was a little too bright.  Standing she patted his shoulder.  “If you need anything don’t hesitate to call for a maid; I’ll be right back.”

“O-okay.”  He said as he watched her leave.

Belle closed the door of the drawing room and leaned against it as her head swam with shock and confusion.  This boy must be Rumple’s lost son; there was no other explanation.


End file.
